Spyderco Dragonfly II Review

The Spyderco Dragonfly 2 is a knife that, frankly, I didn’t think I would like. As far as every day carry goes, I’m into medium to large size folders. Maybe it’s a macho thing, I really don’t know, but I just felt like I would be under-equipped with a small knife and I really like having a full 4 finger grip.

So the thought of packing a massive 5-7/16″ knife with me that weighs a whopping 1.2 ounces wasn’t super appealing. That is, until I got my hands on the knife. It took me about 2 seconds to realize how badly I had underestimated this little knife, so lets give this awesome EDC blade the full run down in my written (and video) review.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Dragonfly has a 2-5/16″ blade, an overall length of 5-7/16″ and a weight of just 1.2 ounces. You hear about knives that just “disappear” into the pocket and that you forget about carrying – well, this one really is. I love this thing for EDC, it’s perfect for almost any kind of urban environment and it’s got a big enough blade (and more importantly, a comfortable enough handle) for most EDC tasks.

The blade on this knife is a beautiful little leaf shape, and kind of aggressive looking with a very fine tip. To me, the blade almost resembles a dart. The small swedge running across the top softens the feel of the spine and the whole blade has been given a full flat grind. There is adequate belly and an excellent tip. This blade excels at opening mail and packages.

This knife was made in Japan and like many of Spyderco’s Japanese production knives this one features VG-10 blade steel. VG-10 is a great choice as it holds a good edge and is capable of getting extremely sharp. No complaints with the VG-10 version but the ZDP-189 version is even better with its amazing edge retention qualities. I’d highly consider the upgrade to ZDP-189 if your budget can handle it, but I’ve found VG-10 to be entirely adequate for my purposes.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handle on the Dragonfly is made of fiberglass reinforced nylon (FRN) and is covered in Spyderco’s bi-directional texturing. This is the same kind of texturing found on both the Delica and Endura and I find that it offers exceptional grip in both wet and dry situations. Unlike the Delica and Endura, the Dragonfly does not have stainless steel liners. That is not a problem for me because the handle feels plenty strong and it is a big part of the reason why this knife weighs so little. Fans of G10 and steel can rejoice because Spyderco also makes a G10 version. All in all handle construction is solid, I like that they used screws for easy take down and everything feels very well finished.

Ergonomics is where we really start to see this little knife shine. Most smaller blades suffer from poor ergonomics and get kicked out of my pocket pretty quickly. The Dragonfly has extremely refined ergonomics and squeezes big grip out of a small knife. First of all, you have a 50/50 choil and large thumb ramp. Both have been given a large amount of jimping. I am a huge fan of 50/50 choils, it really can transform the way a knife handles and what it’s done for the Dragonfly is no exception. But perhaps my favorite ergonomic feature is the way the back end of the handle has been shaped to support the pinky finger. This gives you a true 4 finger grip and allows for awesome leverage on the knife. In my mind, this little section of FRN is what really makes the Dragonfly work.

The pocket clip is another home run. This is a Spyderco wire clip and is perhaps my favorite pocket clip design of all time (really). Small, but very secure, this little piece of hardened steel gives you a deep and reliable carry. The handle has been designed to allows for ambidextrous tip up carry. My only suggestion would be to anodize it black like on my Sage 1 – then it would be virtually invisible riding in a pair of blue jeans or dress pants.

Deployment and Lockup

The Dragonfly takes advantage of a 11 mm Spyder-hole. This is a good size for the knife and has been left kind of sharp, which ensures that you thumb will catch on it every time. Deployment is smooth and reliable and you can easily flick this knife open if you like. I have zero complaints with the deployment.

Lockup is achieved through a small lock-back positioned in the middle of the handle. I like the lock-back on this knife, it’s easy to get too and the spring isn’t too heavy. The lock-back makes this a fully ambidextrous knife as well (always a plus – especially when a lefty is writing the review). Lockup is rock solid on the FRN version, with zero play in any direction.

Spyderco Dragonfly II Review – Final Thoughts

This has been the story of the little knife that could. I seriously have nothing bad to say about the Dragonfly. I am totally impressed by how well this thing works as an EDC blade. Since it weighs nothing I also like pairing this with a larger tactical folder; that way I always have the right tool for the job.

Perhaps the only downside is the price. With a price tag hovering in the $50 range, you are looking at Delica (and almost Endura) territory. Some might have a hard time justifying spending that kind of money on such a small knife, especially given the rest of Spyderco’s product line.

However, I love my Dragonfly II and it has remained one of my all time favorite EDC knives. It is hard to beat this small, lightweight package for daily carry. The knife is imminently useful when you need it, but disappears into your pocket. It has stood the test of time for me, and easily makes my best edc knives list. For fans of Spyderco and ultra lightweight EDC knives, the Dragonfly II is a no-brainer.

If you would like to buy a Spyderco Dragonfly II, I recommend purchasing it at Amazon.com or BladeHQ. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

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About Dan Jackson

Dan is the creator of BladeReviews.com. He founded the site in 2010, and for the first 5 years Dan wrote all of the reviews and recorded all of the video reviews. He grew up using pocket knives, and the decision to start the website stemmed from his fascination of all things sharp combined with a deep passion for writing. He has personally reviewed almost 300 knives of all shapes, sizes, and price points. He is recognized as an authority on daily carry knives and has consulted with knife companies on product design.

Ebbs, you definitely need to hook your wife up with one of these little spitfires. GREAT smaller EDC blade. By the way, you will probably end up wanting your own as well!

This is the key passage from Dan’s review:

“… my favorite ergonomic feature is the way the back end of the handle has been shaped to support the pinky finger. This gives you a true 4 finger grip and allows for awesome leverage on the knife. In my mind, this little section of FRN is what really makes the Dragonfly work.”

True that. The knife looks like it should be too small for practical tasks, but it’s not. The choil, plus that last little section of FRN, allow the base of your pinky to contact and support the handle. The resulting grip is almost as good as a Delica! Kind of amazing.

I am glad we share an enthusiasm for Spyderco’s smaller designs! I still carry my Dragonfly, and it does feel very good in hand. I will concede that a larger knife is better for a lot of things, but this little guy can get a majority of my work done without issue. I have handled (and owned) a Cat, and it’s another nice little folder from Spyderco.

Hey Dan, great review as always. You recommend picking up the ZDP-189 blade, which only comes in the Green Handle. Spyderco also did the same pairing with the Delica, which I picked up earlier this year. I really prefer the Black handle and am thinking of picking up the VG-10 blade. What do think? You seemed pretty happy with it.

Dan,
As always, great review!
I was wondering what you would think about getting the D’fly in PE or SE. I normally don’t care for SE blades, but I have never owned a Spyderedge so I don’t want to rule it out. I have seen a number of reviews that say that this makes up for the short blade and really enhances the cutting ability. I like the look of the Dragon with Spyderedge, but am still hesitant.
Do you have any thoughts?
Thanks,
Shad

To be completely honest I don’t have a lot of experience with the Spyder Edge. I tend to prefer plain edge knives for EDC because I can keep them sharp without much effort. I find VG10 in particular can get extremely sharp without much work. For the kind of work I use my Dragonfly for (small EDC tasks) I haven’t felt outgunned with a plain edge, but I could see where a serrated edge could be helpful. I guess if we were ultimately asking for my opinion I don’t regret buying the plain edge DF and would do it again. That said, this is about you, so buy what you like. 🙂

I have been looking for a smaller knife, that still retains a lot of functionality, for both the work environment and for when I travel to areas with more restrictive knife regulations (Cleveland, OH limits you to a 2.5 inch blade). On your recommendation, I decided to buy a Dragonfly and I have to say, I am in love with this knife. It was a little pricey for such a small knife, but once I held it and flicked it open I could not put it down.

It has accommodated all of my edc tasks very well, but I occasionally put my edc knives through harder use so I decided to test the Dragonfly a little. I sliced about three yards of heavy cardboard of varying densities and this little knife ate through it all like it was slicing paper. A short time with a fine Arkansas stone brought it back to shaving sharp. However, this was not necessary as it still had a very useable edge. This is my first experience with VG-10, and I am very impressed.

I did have a slight amount of blade play develop from this cutting test, but a little thread locker and a pivot adjustment took care of that. If I was going to put this knife through it’s paces on a regular basis, the G10 with stainless liners would be a better option. Since I don’t plan on doing that, this knife is perfect for what I need.

Thank you for providing these wonderful reviews of great knives and for continuing to make my wish list expand.

I have the H1 steel straight edge version. I absolutely love this little monster. Its amazing how such a small knife can feel so good in your hand. Stays on my desk and opens every package and cheese for midnight snacks:)

I have the ZDP-189 version. Just got HAP-40. It’s probably the current best version of this knife steel-wise if you can get one. And my wife has a Cricket in VG-10; came suuuuper sharp and that hasn’t changed since New Year’s Eve(her birthday). You won’t be disappointed in any version of the Dragonfly.

So have had a Dragonfly2 for a while now and I find it is just about perfect as EDC for a guy with a desk job (like me). Love the ergos. Love love the light weight. Perhaps a different lock would make it easier to operate one handed but I don’t use it often enough for that to be overly important to me.

What locking folder has the most similar ergonomics, and is similarly light, with just a liiiiiittle more blade? The Spyderco Urban seemed to fill the bill almost exactly, except that it does not lock.